7 Responses to “Light Stealth Aircraft by vstol jockey”

Chucksaid

Can’t really say I know much of it, but it seems like it could be a-okay if it gets built. A lot depends on the engine, avionics, weapons… aerodynamically, it is not the best, but good enough. Cockpit visibility will be an issue though.

redbricksaid

This indian plane idea is makebelieve. that guy’s comments in that thread give it away. 4 year development and production run-in time? huge weapon bays on a plane with one 100 kn engine, all the while it goes to mach 2,2? Yeah right. The guy is some fanboy, or delusional.

He is a retired Indian Navy pilot (confirmed by the forum staff, and I even know his name and rank but for obvious reason will not reveal it). As for judging the design, I’ll wait till he reveals more details. Mach 2,2 top speed is not unbelievable for a clean aircraft even with relatively low TWR depending on the design, albeit it is unlikely. Most modern fighters are not limited in top speed by engine power (thrust-to-drag ratio) but rather by either air intake design or by other things such as canopy. There have been aircraft capable of breaching mach 2 for 58 years (F-104, 1958). Four years for development is also not impossible if he does the basic design, after all F-16 went from conception to production in 5 years.

Andreisaid

“Four years for development is also not impossible if he does the basic design, after all F-16 went from conception to production in 5 years.”

Yeah but that was in the USA at a time when procurement was at its optimum, interested not in putting money in the pockets of corporations, but efficient weapons in the inventory of the military. Current Indian procedures are exactly the opposite, if they exist at all. Even if vstol jokey came up all on his own with a design that could be R&Dn in 5 years I don’t think the environment and people working with him would allow him to complete it that fast. Take the Tejas, a very simple and straightforward design, that should have been completed in 15 years: after 30 years development the Mark I goes into production, but the Indian Parliament has found at least 40 problems that make it un-flight-worthy, let alone combat-worthy. The producer says it will all be fixed by the Mark II variant which will go into production in 5 years time, but meanwhile at least 5 squadrons will be equipped with the Mark I variant which is not even safe for flight. And let’s not get into the naval variant. I don’t want to be mean or offend anybody but comparing current Indian procurement practices with the ones the American had in the 70s when they produced 5 great planes (A-10,F-14,F-15,F-16,F-18) in under 10 years each is like comparing a poop trowing Monkey, with a genius like Turing.